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While recent reports suggest quality problems have set back pricing for Chilean lemons and easy peelers, the first weeks of the season showed a strong footing for the country’s oranges in the U.S.

According to figures from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Chilean orange prices stood at US$ 22/15kg (33lbs) box last week, which is similar to the level they were at for the same period in 2015.

South African orange prices were also within the historic two-year average at US$ 24/15kg (33lbs) box.

Chilean orange shipments started in June and until the first week of July they reached 7,483 metric tons (MT), representing a rise of 11% year-on-year, according to Chilean statistics agency Odepa.

As has been the trend at this time of year, the U.S. has accounted for 85% of Chile’s shipments.

In 2015, Chile finished the orange season with 69,170MT exported, recovering from a low of 57,445MT in 2014.

In terms of easy peelers, a representative from the Chilean Citrus Committee has told the local press there has been a lot of fruit with seeds this year due to cross-pollination.

While the grower strike is largely resolved, the setback will affect supply and prices over the coming weeks.

Avocado prices have been fairly high for the opening of the 2016-17 Mexican harvest due to a producer strike, but the issue appears to be resolved and prices are expected to start stabilizing.

Diario.mx reported growers in Michoacan did not harvest for the week of July 4-11, protesting outside the offices of the Mexican Avocado Grower and Packer Exporter Association (APEAM) calling for fixed dollar payments on exports.

In the domestic Mexican market prices reached MXN65 (US$ 3.50) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) last week, compared with an average price of MXN15 (US$ 0.81) for the previous season.

APEAM representative for the municipality to Tancítaro, Javier Mora, told the publication negotiations had been in pesos for exports, so even if the value of the dollar rose the price received would be the same.

The story reported that after the strike that affected 90% of the state’s municipalities, growers reached a deal to be paid in pesos but with a dollar equivalency.

In an avocado market update, U.S. company Mission Produce said effects would be continue to be felt even though the situation was getting back to normal in Mexico and industry volume was up slightly last week due to higher Californian production.

“Basically the numbers don’t look as bad as the reality, but the combination of severely curtailed production will have repercussions for the next several weeks; until more fruit is available for the market,” Mission said in the update.

“Mexican shipments to the U.S. were about 16 million pounds, down from 22 million the prior week. The grower embargo is essentially resolved at this point, but the slowdown will have a lingering effect for several weeks as the pipeline refills.

“Production estimates for the next three weeks are 18, 22 and 25 million pounds, signaling that the Flor Loca harvest is ramping up.”

The update highlighted volume from California would decline in the coming weeks, but Mexico should rebound to fill the void.

“Market pricing should remain high until supply and demand are more in balance.”

Despite the news of protests, Mexican Agriculture Minister Jose Calzada Rovirosa attributed the higher prices to a “cyclical” situation for the crop in the local press.

“This has to do with cyclical processes. The harvest finished in June and the new harvest started on July 10 and here prices will surely start dropping substantially,” he was quoted as saying.

“In terms of time, I don’t know, but I want to comment that around 2.5 million [metric] tons of avocados are produced and Mexico produces 1.3 million.”

DNE World Fruit LLC kicked off its 2013 Australian summer citrus program with the recent arrival of the first vessel into the port of Long Beach in California.

The season will run from late June through October starting with Daisies and Navels. Daisies will peak on size 70s followed by 54s. Peak promotion period for Daisies will run early July through early August.

Australian Navels will begin arriving early July but due to intermittent rains heavier volume won’t arrive until later in July.

“The quality has been excellent in the packing sheds in Australia,” said Stu Monaghan, Australian citrus program manager for DNE. “We’re seeing high color and great flavor right from the start from each of the growing regions. Peak sizing will be 56s followed by 48s then 72s. We’ll see that shift to higher volumes of 72s and fewer 48s in our August arrivals.”

DNE recommends promoting Aussie Navels from late July through the first week of October. Minneolas will be ready to promote the second week of July through September. Tangelo peak sizes will be 53 followed by 63 and packed in 10-kilo cartons. Three-pound bags are available throughout the program.

As the back-to-school timeframe approaches, Cara Cara Navels and blood oranges will be included in DNE’s Australian citrus lineup.

DNE, a leading importer of Australian citrus, plans to bring in more than 500,000 cartons of Navels for the season along with specialty varieties of Daisies, Minneolas, Cara Caras and blood oranges.

Unusual weather during the growing season delayed the start of Georgia’s watermelon harvest this month. While growers typically begin harvesting fruit at the beginning of the month, growers reported delays of up to two weeks.

“Harvesting started about two weeks later than in the past,” said Greg Leger, owner of Leger and Son, Inc. He cited cold weather that delayed planting as the reason for the late start, and further delays came as a result of rain and cold temperatures throughout the Spring. In addition to delaying this year’s harvest, the weather disrupted pollination, which could result in less fruit this year.

“Volume is not going to be as heavy as it has been the last few years,” said Leger. “Volume will likely be moderate, and we’re probably not going to have fruit as large as we’ve had in the past.” Aside from that, Leger anticipates quality fruit with high sugar content.

A delayed start has brought less fruit to the market. Last week, as harvesting began, prices were higher than usual due to low volumes of fruit. While prices are usually around 17 cents per pound, noted Border Melons East’s Mark Paulk, the start of this season has brought prices closer to 22 cents per pound.

“The market is above-average right now,” said Paulk. “It’s been a slow start in Georgia.” Leger said that the slow start has made for high prices, but, more worrisome, it will likely mean that less of this year’s crop will be in stores before the Fourth of July. That could be a problem for growers because prices for watermelons typically drop after the holiday.

“Normally, Georgia is about 80 percent done with watermelons after the Fourth of July,” said Leger. “But this year, I’m looking at about 60 percent done by that time.” But Leger also noted that prices tend to drop after the holiday because the market has been saturated by that point. With volumes of fruit being slow to come in this year, he hopes summer demand will remain strong throughout the prolonged season. While the season started late, it’s also expected to last a little longer than usual, and Leger believes consumers will still buy melons as long as it’s warm out.

“It seems demand follows the weather,” said Leger, “because people like to go out and picnic when it’s nice out, and they’ll buy watermelons. So if the weather’s good, demand will be good.”

The early start to this year’s stonefruit harvest in South Africa made for a lighter crop and smaller sizes this year. But shippers expect volumes will pick up going into 2015.

Harvesting of stone fruit in South Africa got off to a very early start this year, with picking getting underway as much as 3 weeks earlier than normal. The quick start to the season resulted in smaller sizes, so growers had trouble filling out boxes. Apricots, in particular, were not as plentiful as expected, so early estimates as to how much fruit would be picked and shipped were not met.

Plums and peachesPlum volumes were also off, with fruit sets not going well in some areas. As with apricots, smaller sizes made it harder to fill out boxes and meet early volume estimates. Peaches recovered from early deficiencies in the season and peak volumes are currently coming out of South Africa. Sizing on peaches has also been good.

NectarinesNectarines have also fared well in terms of sizes, but variability in maturity and sugar content made it a challenge to choose the right fruit for export early in the season. In general, the nectarine crop is looking very promising, according to one South African exporter.

Quality of stonefruitDespite challenges with sizing and volumes, quality of fruit has been good. Good weather throughout the growing season resulted in high sugar levels in most fruit. Good sugar content helps fruit store well, so shelf life should be good. While the early part of the stone fruit season was characterized by a shortage of fruit, the last week has brought increased volumes, and exporters hope those volumes will continue going into January.

PricesA early shortage of fruit resulted in higher prices, but those prices are starting to come down now that volumes are filling out. One exporter was concerned with how quickly prices rose earlier in the year because the subsequent drop might also come very quickly. Pricing trends have been similar to those from the 2011 season, but returns have been better because of a more favorable exchange rate. Prices in the United Kingdom, in particular, have been good when compared to the rest of Europe. Sales in Europe this time of year are usually pretty sluggish, but shippers expect demand to pick up in January.

Flat varietiesA stone fruit variety that has drawn a lot of interest in Europe has been the flat peach. While the uptick in attention to the variety has made South African exporters take note, South African growers cannot plant the variety commercially for at least another three years because of quarantine regulations. But if interest in flat stone fruit persists, growers will likely plant and export the fruit to Europe in the future.

Middle and Far EastVolumes of stone fruit in the Middle East and Far East have been very good this year, but prices there have been under pressure and are currently trending downward. While South African exporters don’t ship most of their fruit to those markets, those areas remain important, so exporters are watching those markets closely.

Tasmania has provided ideal growing conditions for onions so far. Field Fresh’s early onions in Hagley are going well, planted in the first week of May they will be ready for lifting just after Christmas.

These will be set for export mid to late February.

The winter this year was mild and it has not been nearly as wet as in the past few years, the company says all crops are doing well.

The crop sown in July are also doing well and the red onions are looking good, FieldFresh plan to lift these at the end of the year, for export in February.

Tasmania has provided ideal growing conditions for onions so far. Field Fresh’s early onions in Hagley are going well, planted in the first week of May they will be ready for lifting just after Christmas.

These will be set for export mid to late February.

The winter this year was mild and it has not been nearly as wet as in the past few years, the company says all crops are doing well.

The crop sown in July are also doing well and the red onions are looking good, FieldFresh plan to lift these at the end of the year, for export in February.

Yonatan Packing & Marketing is a 20 year old Israeli packing house owned by two moshavs and devoted mostly to the cultivation of mangoes, as well as avocados and citrus in the winter. “We produce 10,000 tons per year and deal with clients in Europe (the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK), Russia, and Jordan and, of course, the local market, as well as Gaza and the West Bank,” explains owner CEO Moshe Meiri.

The mango varieties exported by Yonatan include the Tommy Atkins, Keitt, Kent, Maya, Shelly and Omer. According to Mr. Moshe, Europe prefers the Kent and the Omar, as well as “a really good new variety called Castory-Omer, which is fibreless and reaches calibres between 8 and 10. It is a mango with a longer shelf life than the Kent, but shorter than the Keitt.”

In the European retail market, the convenience of ready-to-eat products is increasingly appreciated, and according to Mr. Moshe, this is a trend that can certainly be capitalized in order to boost sales. “Mangoes are available in all colours, but the green Omer and Shelly are the most commonly used varieties for the ready-to-eat European ripening program, while the red are for fresh consumption.”

Retail sales are in fact of paramount importance for Yonatan, as the company’s produce is mostly targeted at this market, where it competes directly with producers from countries like Brazil, Peru and the Dominican Republic. “Spain is also currently becoming a big player, and we were sure that it would arrive with very big quantities this campaign, but it ended up not being a big issue during our season,” says Mr. Moshe Meiri.

This, in any case, does not mean that the campaign was easy for Yonatan. Mr. Moshe Meiri actually affirms that “I have been in the business for more than 20 years and this has been one of the hardest I remember, so I look forward to some rest before we start again in February.”

Meanwhile, the avocado season is only just starting and prospects are good. One of the key factors, which Mr. Moshe Meiri states is very important in this game, is the weather. “In the winter, we do 3 to 4 containers of avocado a week, while in the summer we do that amount per day.”

Another important aspect when it comes to exports, taking into account the shelf life of both mangoes and avocados, are shipping times. The firm has managed to enter the South African market, and Mr. Moshe Meiri assures that Russia has also been good. “Four or five years ago, we started with class 2 and low quality to Russia, and now they demand the highest quality. It is a market that knows exactly what it wants, with specific requirements that need to be met.”

Lastly, there are big differences in consumption habits between different countries that need to be taken into account in terms of marketing. “European retailers, for example, have been switching from green skin varieties to the Hass, which for them are much easier to handle, with a much lower waste percentage, but Israeli growers still prefer the Ettinger, as it is huge in the domestic market and generates much more revenue,” concludes Moshe Meiri.

Yonatan Packing & Marketing is a 20 year old Israeli packing house owned by two moshavs and devoted mostly to the cultivation of mangoes, as well as avocados and citrus in the winter. “We produce 10,000 tons per year and deal with clients in Europe (the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK), Russia, and Jordan and, of course, the local market, as well as Gaza and the West Bank,” explains owner CEO Moshe Meiri.

The mango varieties exported by Yonatan include the Tommy Atkins, Keitt, Kent, Maya, Shelly and Omer. According to Mr. Moshe, Europe prefers the Kent and the Omar, as well as “a really good new variety called Castory-Omer, which is fibreless and reaches calibres between 8 and 10. It is a mango with a longer shelf life than the Kent, but shorter than the Keitt.”

In the European retail market, the convenience of ready-to-eat products is increasingly appreciated, and according to Mr. Moshe, this is a trend that can certainly be capitalized in order to boost sales. “Mangoes are available in all colours, but the green Omer and Shelly are the most commonly used varieties for the ready-to-eat European ripening program, while the red are for fresh consumption.”

Retail sales are in fact of paramount importance for Yonatan, as the company’s produce is mostly targeted at this market, where it competes directly with producers from countries like Brazil, Peru and the Dominican Republic. “Spain is also currently becoming a big player, and we were sure that it would arrive with very big quantities this campaign, but it ended up not being a big issue during our season,” says Mr. Moshe Meiri.

This, in any case, does not mean that the campaign was easy for Yonatan. Mr. Moshe Meiri actually affirms that “I have been in the business for more than 20 years and this has been one of the hardest I remember, so I look forward to some rest before we start again in February.”

Meanwhile, the avocado season is only just starting and prospects are good. One of the key factors, which Mr. Moshe Meiri states is very important in this game, is the weather. “In the winter, we do 3 to 4 containers of avocado a week, while in the summer we do that amount per day.”

Another important aspect when it comes to exports, taking into account the shelf life of both mangoes and avocados, are shipping times. The firm has managed to enter the South African market, and Mr. Moshe Meiri assures that Russia has also been good. “Four or five years ago, we started with class 2 and low quality to Russia, and now they demand the highest quality. It is a market that knows exactly what it wants, with specific requirements that need to be met.”

Lastly, there are big differences in consumption habits between different countries that need to be taken into account in terms of marketing. “European retailers, for example, have been switching from green skin varieties to the Hass, which for them are much easier to handle, with a much lower waste percentage, but Israeli growers still prefer the Ettinger, as it is huge in the domestic market and generates much more revenue,” concludes Moshe Meiri.

Yonatan Packing & Marketing is a 20 year old Israeli packing house owned by two moshavs and devoted mostly to the cultivation of mangoes, as well as avocados and citrus in the winter. “We produce 10,000 tons per year and deal with clients in Europe (the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK), Russia, and Jordan and, of course, the local market, as well as Gaza and the West Bank,” explains owner CEO Moshe Meiri.

The mango varieties exported by Yonatan include the Tommy Atkins, Keitt, Kent, Maya, Shelly and Omer. According to Mr. Moshe, Europe prefers the Kent and the Omar, as well as “a really good new variety called Castory-Omer, which is fibreless and reaches calibres between 8 and 10. It is a mango with a longer shelf life than the Kent, but shorter than the Keitt.”

In the European retail market, the convenience of ready-to-eat products is increasingly appreciated, and according to Mr. Moshe, this is a trend that can certainly be capitalized in order to boost sales. “Mangoes are available in all colours, but the green Omer and Shelly are the most commonly used varieties for the ready-to-eat European ripening program, while the red are for fresh consumption.”

Retail sales are in fact of paramount importance for Yonatan, as the company’s produce is mostly targeted at this market, where it competes directly with producers from countries like Brazil, Peru and the Dominican Republic. “Spain is also currently becoming a big player, and we were sure that it would arrive with very big quantities this campaign, but it ended up not being a big issue during our season,” says Mr. Moshe Meiri.

This, in any case, does not mean that the campaign was easy for Yonatan. Mr. Moshe Meiri actually affirms that “I have been in the business for more than 20 years and this has been one of the hardest I remember, so I look forward to some rest before we start again in February.”

Meanwhile, the avocado season is only just starting and prospects are good. One of the key factors, which Mr. Moshe Meiri states is very important in this game, is the weather. “In the winter, we do 3 to 4 containers of avocado a week, while in the summer we do that amount per day.”

Another important aspect when it comes to exports, taking into account the shelf life of both mangoes and avocados, are shipping times. The firm has managed to enter the South African market, and Mr. Moshe Meiri assures that Russia has also been good. “Four or five years ago, we started with class 2 and low quality to Russia, and now they demand the highest quality. It is a market that knows exactly what it wants, with specific requirements that need to be met.”

Lastly, there are big differences in consumption habits between different countries that need to be taken into account in terms of marketing. “European retailers, for example, have been switching from green skin varieties to the Hass, which for them are much easier to handle, with a much lower waste percentage, but Israeli growers still prefer the Ettinger, as it is huge in the domestic market and generates much more revenue,” concludes Moshe Meiri.

Queensland-based speciality mango producer, Piñata Farms Pty Ltd, has begun picking its first Honey Gold mangoes for the season and expect a record crop this summer.

Managing director, Gavin Scurr, said Piñata Farms expected to send approximately 450,000 trays of Australia’s distinctive, sweet mangoes to market between November and next March – an increase of some 33 per cent on last year.

Fruit currently being picked at Katherine and Mataranka in the Northern Territory will arrive on supermarket shelves nationally on November 24.

“Last year, we sent about 299,000 trays, largely because a warmer-than-usual winter in the Top End affected our crops there. This season, conditions in all growing regions around Australia have been ideal. Although a cool start to spring has taken the edge off it being ‘perfect’, we’re extremely happy with the volume and quality of fruit and the way the season is shaping up,” he said.

“Another favourable factor is that many of our trees are between eight and 10 years old and are reaching full production, while others aged between three and five years are producing fruit for the first time.”

Mr Scurr said Queensland would produce about 60 per cent of the total Honey Gold crop, harvesting fruit for 14 weeks from early December. Significant volumes will appear in-store in time for Christmas.

The Northern Territory would produce some 30 per cent of this year’s crop, with the remainder grown in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, he said.

About eight per cent of the crop would be exported to New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, South Korea and Russia. Exports to the United States would follow once the quarantine protocol for Australian mangoes was finalised, most likely in the New Year, he said.

Piñata Farms has 140,000 trees on 500 hectares under cultivation. Honey Gold mangoes are grown exclusively by Piñata Farms and 36 contracted growers. It has an eight per cent share of Australia’s mango market and is on track to reach a 10 per cent share by 2016 when immature trees reach full production.

Mr Scurr said Piñata Farms was exploring new growing regions in New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory to extend both ends of the season.

“Ideally, we want to extend the season into April and close the small gap in production between our New South Wales and Victorian growing regions. We are currently in negotiations with third party growers along the Darling River in western New South Wales and others in the Darwin region,” he said.

Piñata Farms continued to invest substantially in research and development with the key objective being to increase marketable yield, he said.

First commercialised in 2009 after Piñata Farms bought the plant breeders’ rights to the variety, Honey Gold mangoes were bred by chance in Central Queensland’s Rockhampton region. They are a natural result of a Kensington Pride off-type which was pollinated by an unknown variety.

Honey Gold mangoes have a robust, intensely sweet flavour and, at 500-600 grams each, are among the largest mangoes available in Australia. They also have a small seed-high flesh ratio. They are available at leading supermarkets and independent retail stores under the Piñata brand Australia-wide.

Poor pollination and rain have meant fewer-than-normal quantities of cherries from Washington this month. Demand for fruit has outpaced supplies, but despite diminished quantities this month, growers are hoping July will bring better volumes.

“We’ve had a diminished crop so far,” said Stemilt Growers’ Roger Pepperl. “We had poor pollination, and then rain took out some of our June cherries.” While exact numbers on how much of this month’s crop was affected weren’t available, Pepperl said it was a significant amount. But he noted that Stemilt’s cherry season, that’s planned to go into late-August or early-September, should see increased volumes of fruit in July.

Similarly, Columbia Marketing International’s Bob Mast expects the latter half of the season to be much better than the beginning.

“We’ve been off to a slow start, and we hope to ramp things up when the weather turns,” said Mast. “It’s going to be important for retailers to catch up with sales that have been lost due to lack of availability, so the hope is to get late season sales going.” The weather Mast mentioned has included inopportune rain. While precipitation has slowed down the harvesting of fruit, it’s also made for cracked fruit that needs to be culled. The more fruit that is weeded out because it’s cracked, the less fruit available on the market. That’s caused problems for retailers who want to take advantage of strong demand ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.

“Supplies from California finished off pretty quickly, so demand for the volume coming out of the Pacific Northwest picked up rapidly,” explained Mast. “We’re frustrated because retailers want to get fruit into the system for the Fourth of July, so we’re looking to transition into our later season varieties.” With diminished volumes of fruit, pricing has been high. But less fruit per tree has also meant that the cherries that do make it to stores are larger and of very good quality.

“This is some of the best quality fruit we’ve seen in a while,” said James Michael, vice president of marketing for Northwest Cherries. “Fewer buds and fewer cherries per tree means better quality, so the fruit on shelves is incredible, and that’s fueling demand.” Increased demand and good quality fruit have been the bright spots to a beginning of the season that has seen lower volumes. Now growers are hoping to get past the rough start and finish the season strong.

“It’s been a bad June so far,” said Pepperl, “but we anticipate having a good July.”

Duda Farm Fresh Foods marks the start of the California-grown citrus season with a large variety of items available now in promotable volumes.

“The Navel oranges crop is off to an early start this season and the fruit is exceptionally sweet,” Paul Huckabay, Duda Western citrus sales manager, said in a press release.

“The Navel orange sizing is slightly smaller than the past few seasons and we are seeing a lot of excitement surrounding bag promotions for the holidays,” Huckabay said. “We anticipate some fruit growth over the next few months and hope to have larger sized fruit near Christmas or the first of the year.”

Supplies of lemons are abundant from the California desert region. The Duda lemon crop has an even distribution of sizes which will appeal to both retail and foodservice customers.

“We plan to transition harvest to the central San Joaquin Valley district in December and then continue production into spring,” Huckabay said.

Mandarins also had an early start to the season this year, and the fruit size is moderate to slightly larger with a nice eating quality.

“We have good volume now and we are well positioned for holiday ads as we move into November and December,” he said. “We will have good volume from early January all the way through March and into early April.”

Lastly, Duda started shipping Meyer lemons the last week of October — a full week earlier than last year. The Dandy one-pound Grab n’ Go bag is updated this year to reflect new recipes and uses for Meyer lemons. The quality is excellent with smooth, well-shaped fruit and a sweet and juicy interior, Huckabay said.

“Meyer lemons are one of the last really seasonal items in the product department, and that creates excitement for the overall citrus set and brings attention to the category,” he said.

The company projects good volume of Meyer lemons for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and continuing through March.

Duda is supporting sales with new seasonal packaging, data and an online sales kit that includes recipes for consumers and point-of-sale material.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods marks the start of the California-grown citrus season with a large variety of items available now in promotable volumes.

“The Navel oranges crop is off to an early start this season and the fruit is exceptionally sweet,” Paul Huckabay, Duda Western citrus sales manager, said in a press release.

“The Navel orange sizing is slightly smaller than the past few seasons and we are seeing a lot of excitement surrounding bag promotions for the holidays,” Huckabay said. “We anticipate some fruit growth over the next few months and hope to have larger sized fruit near Christmas or the first of the year.”

Supplies of lemons are abundant from the California desert region. The Duda lemon crop has an even distribution of sizes which will appeal to both retail and foodservice customers.

“We plan to transition harvest to the central San Joaquin Valley district in December and then continue production into spring,” Huckabay said.

Mandarins also had an early start to the season this year, and the fruit size is moderate to slightly larger with a nice eating quality.

“We have good volume now and we are well positioned for holiday ads as we move into November and December,” he said. “We will have good volume from early January all the way through March and into early April.”

Lastly, Duda started shipping Meyer lemons the last week of October — a full week earlier than last year. The Dandy one-pound Grab n’ Go bag is updated this year to reflect new recipes and uses for Meyer lemons. The quality is excellent with smooth, well-shaped fruit and a sweet and juicy interior, Huckabay said.

“Meyer lemons are one of the last really seasonal items in the product department, and that creates excitement for the overall citrus set and brings attention to the category,” he said.

The company projects good volume of Meyer lemons for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and continuing through March.

Duda is supporting sales with new seasonal packaging, data and an online sales kit that includes recipes for consumers and point-of-sale material.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods marks the start of the California-grown citrus season with a large variety of items available now in promotable volumes.

“The Navel oranges crop is off to an early start this season and the fruit is exceptionally sweet,” Paul Huckabay, Duda Western citrus sales manager, said in a press release.

“The Navel orange sizing is slightly smaller than the past few seasons and we are seeing a lot of excitement surrounding bag promotions for the holidays,” Huckabay said. “We anticipate some fruit growth over the next few months and hope to have larger sized fruit near Christmas or the first of the year.”

Supplies of lemons are abundant from the California desert region. The Duda lemon crop has an even distribution of sizes which will appeal to both retail and foodservice customers.

“We plan to transition harvest to the central San Joaquin Valley district in December and then continue production into spring,” Huckabay said.

Mandarins also had an early start to the season this year, and the fruit size is moderate to slightly larger with a nice eating quality.

“We have good volume now and we are well positioned for holiday ads as we move into November and December,” he said. “We will have good volume from early January all the way through March and into early April.”

Lastly, Duda started shipping Meyer lemons the last week of October — a full week earlier than last year. The Dandy one-pound Grab n’ Go bag is updated this year to reflect new recipes and uses for Meyer lemons. The quality is excellent with smooth, well-shaped fruit and a sweet and juicy interior, Huckabay said.

“Meyer lemons are one of the last really seasonal items in the product department, and that creates excitement for the overall citrus set and brings attention to the category,” he said.

The company projects good volume of Meyer lemons for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and continuing through March.

Duda is supporting sales with new seasonal packaging, data and an online sales kit that includes recipes for consumers and point-of-sale material.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods marks the start of the California-grown citrus season with a large variety of items available now in promotable volumes.

“The Navel oranges crop is off to an early start this season and the fruit is exceptionally sweet,” Paul Huckabay, Duda Western citrus sales manager, said in a press release.

“The Navel orange sizing is slightly smaller than the past few seasons and we are seeing a lot of excitement surrounding bag promotions for the holidays,” Huckabay said. “We anticipate some fruit growth over the next few months and hope to have larger sized fruit near Christmas or the first of the year.”

Supplies of lemons are abundant from the California desert region. The Duda lemon crop has an even distribution of sizes which will appeal to both retail and foodservice customers.

“We plan to transition harvest to the central San Joaquin Valley district in December and then continue production into spring,” Huckabay said.

Mandarins also had an early start to the season this year, and the fruit size is moderate to slightly larger with a nice eating quality.

“We have good volume now and we are well positioned for holiday ads as we move into November and December,” he said. “We will have good volume from early January all the way through March and into early April.”

Lastly, Duda started shipping Meyer lemons the last week of October — a full week earlier than last year. The Dandy one-pound Grab n’ Go bag is updated this year to reflect new recipes and uses for Meyer lemons. The quality is excellent with smooth, well-shaped fruit and a sweet and juicy interior, Huckabay said.

“Meyer lemons are one of the last really seasonal items in the product department, and that creates excitement for the overall citrus set and brings attention to the category,” he said.

The company projects good volume of Meyer lemons for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and continuing through March.

Duda is supporting sales with new seasonal packaging, data and an online sales kit that includes recipes for consumers and point-of-sale material.